Incoming Congress girds for warfare

That's pretty happy-go-lucky talk for a guy who's recently been given control of Senate Democrats' explicitly partisan communications "war room" by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Still, no one expects Schumer to forget the "D-N.Y." that comes after his name at the bottom of television screens.

What may have gone unnoticed in a lame-duck session generally heralded as productive is the set of models that emerged: Each side won when it took the popular stand — whether that meant forcing the other side to come along on legislation or simply blocking bills.

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On the tax deal, the president gave up more than Republicans to ensure that he and his party didn't get blamed for a hike in taxes for all Americans that they failed to stop before the elections. On the new arms-reduction treaty, START, Republicans broke ranks to back the president on a matter of national security policy — a dynamic that shouldn't have been surprising given the high stakes of nuclear negotiations, the political optics of undercutting a president's foreign policy and the fact that the Senate has rejected just 21 treaties in its history.

Republicans won on spending, forcing enactment of a short-term resolution keeping the government funded into March rather than an earmark-pocked trillion-dollar-plus omnibus appropriations bill running through September. That victory reflected popular displeasure with spending in general and earmarks in particular.

They also prevailed in blocking the DREAM Act, which would have given a path to citizenship to certain children of illegal immigrants who serve in the military or complete two years at a four-year college. The Republican base was dead-set against it, and the GOP held firm.

Democrats won a repeal of the military's policy banning gay service members from revealing their sexual orientation, even picking up votes from Republican Sens. John Ensign of Nevada and Richard Burr of North Carolina after they tried to block its consideration. It was an idea whose time had come, according to the overwhelming majority of the American public and the somewhat stodgier U.S. Senate.
As the 112th Congress approaches, party leaders say it's not compromise they're after.

Incoming Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) treats the word as though it's composed of just four letters — rejecting the whole idea that he would give up some of his principles in a recent interview on CBS's "60 Minutes."

Similarly, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is readjusting to her return engagement as minority leader by making clear she didn't run to lead Democrats so that she could capitulate to Republicans.

Though she put it on the floor, she never said a kind word about the tax cut deal, didn't vote for it and skipped the signing ceremony at the White House. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) tapped Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) to negotiate on the tax deal and didn't appear to be part of the more public six-party talks or the back channeling the White House did with McConnell.

"I made a decision that these negotiations were something that I thought the president should do on his own. I did not want to go to my caucus and tell the caucus I'd agreed to these tax cuts for rich people," he told CNN on Thursday.

The catchphrase on Capitol Hill is not "compromise" but rather "common ground." That means politicians are ready to agree on the things they already agree on but have chosen not to advance in the past for partisan reasons.

"If a man stumbles, it is a good thing to help him to his feet. Every one of us needs a helping hand now and then. But if a man lies down, it is a waste of time to try and carry him; and it is a very bad thing for every one if we make men feel that the same reward will come to those who shirk their work and those who do it. "

The Republicans and the Tea Party have the Progressives by the cojones, i.e., they have BROKEN THE BACKS OF THE PROGRESSIVES. The following items illustrate my comment: According to the Constitution, all appropriation bills originate in the House (Shorty to be Republican Controlled). All of the money that the President has to spend is as a result of a congressional approved appropriations bill. The President can approve or veto a bill. He cannot add funding items directly to an appropriations bill. The Omnibus Spending Bill was killed by the Republicans. This bill contained 1.1 billion dollars for Obamacare. As a result, the Secretary of HHS currently has no ZERO money to establish the agencies and policies for Obamacare. Her funds will remain ZERO until she has an approved budget. The Republicans have vowed to keep funds for Obamacare out of her budget. Budgeting law does not allow the Secretary of HHS to use funds appropriated for other uses, to be spent for Obamacare. This is a “go to jail” issue. The President is moving rapidly to the political center. He no longer supports the far left Progressives. He will probably fold on healthcare issues. The Republicans have vowed to kill Obamacare using the death of a thousand cuts process. If you add all of that together, you can say good bye to Obamacare in its present form.

Who recognizes that America is fed up wiht the drunken sailor spending ? I'm still wondering and taking notes. Lame duck still operated under Dem Control, lets not forget that, and that the one thing tha tmatered most (trillion plus year long Contiinuing Resolution) went down quickly in flames.

where was the compromise when nancy pelosi changed the locks on the committee room doors ,so republicans couldn't get in?....give the democrat central planners SQUAT. the... 2012 tea party 2.2 is getting huge and we won't make the same mistakes again.....get ready for mucho democrat and rino expungements.....happy holidays and viva la migra.

That sound you are hearing is the 111 congress getting swept into the dustbins of history along with the progressive agenda.

Many pol's still don't get it. If (and it's a very big if) the Republicans can field a top notch presidential candidate, we the people will get our country back having fired even more of the ruling class.

The vast majority of us in "fly over country" feel like a subjects and not citizens with our life, liberty, savings and possessions up for the taking.